It's snow joke - this wacky-looking vehicle has won a Tyneside student top prize in a national design competition.

It's snow joke - this wacky-looking vehicle has won a Tyneside student top prize in a national design competition.

Spike Reid, a second-year student at Newcastle's Northumbria University, has scooped top honours for inventing the Slegoon, a cage sledge designed for racing down snow slopes.

The 21-year-old fought off tough competition with his plastic snow craft which is designed to roll over safely if crashing in a high-speed race.

This new design introduces a sport somewhere between sledging and skidooing (snow mobiles), but more exciting and competitive.

A record-breaking 300 students initially registered interest in the competition, with 84 actually submitting an entry, including a scale model and supporting material. A panel of five judges then whittled these down to just six.

Spike's entry took first place in the competition sponsored by international chemicals and healthcare company Bayer plc.

Competitors are strapped into bucket seats and can steer the Slegoon by weight and braking. The roll cage allows it to continue downhill even when overturned, although there is an emergency brake.

Spike, originally from Plymouth, said: "It is a new type of extreme sports for alpine ski resorts. The idea came from going tobogganing and sledging, but I wanted to invent something more competitive."

Spike won &#xA3;1,000 plus a work placement with Bayer AG at the company's global headquarters in Leverkusen, Germany, as well as &#xA3;500 for the university.

Second prize went to fellow Northumbria student James Ryder for his Split Wheeler bicycle which allows children to ride a bike in a safe, progressive way.